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A fresh round of Airport Improvement Program funding from the FAA means millions of dollars in grants for Alabama facilities, including $7 million for the Downtown Mobile Airport.

The grants are part of the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program, which helps fund "improvements related to enhancing airport safety, capacity, security and environmental concerns."

Alabama airports received $20.6 million in a wave of grants announced this week, following $4.7 million awarded in June. The $7.1 million for Mobile Downtown Airport is by far the largest grant out of that $25.3 million total, but it's not the only seven-figure one.

The airshow also represents an opportunity to showcase Alabama's deep connections to the dynamic aerospace industry and to spot glimpses of developments that could shape the future of the sector in the state.

One them stood just off the runway at Farnborough - an Airbus A220 passenger jet.

Momentum continues to build in Alabama's aerospace industry, which is adding new investments and hundreds of jobs to produce innovative, in-demand products in communities across the state.

In 2017 alone, there were announcements totaling nearly $690 million and 1,750 jobs. Those numbers increased the sector's cumulative investment over the past seven years to almost $2.4 billion, along with 8,348 aerospace and defense jobs during the same time period.

This year, there's a hiring surge, as the plans become reality. And more jobs are on the way.